Oral Chelation Therapy for Improving Health

The objective of oral chelation is to improve ones health
and nutritional status by replacing toxic heavy metals with essential elements. This is not
intended as medical advice or treatment for a medical condition.

Chelation Therapy uses a chelating agent such as EDTA
to tightly bind to heavy metals and transport them out of the body, generally through
the urine. Oral Chelation is Chelation Therapy with the chelating agent administered orally.
It was first developed as a method of treating heavy metal poisoning. Metals toxic to the
human physiology include lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic and aluminum. It was later used
by some physicians to treat atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. It appears to be
generally effective and generally safe. It fell into medical political disfavor apparently
because it was relatively inexpensive and threatened vested financial interests. It has
continued to be used by some physicians as a medically accepted but unapproved therapy.

The administration of chelating agents can be by mouth
(orally), by suppository, by intravenous drip, or by injection depending on the chelating agent and therapeutic
goal.

The principal chelating agent used for these applications
is the amino acid EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid). Clinical Benefits of EDTA have
been documented to include improved circulation, lowered cholesterol and blood lipids,
lowered blood pressure, improved sexual function, and an enhancement of energy production
in the mitochondria. EDTA is considered by some to have life extension benefits.
These benefits are believed to be due to the removal of heavy metals from the body.
EDTA is also an anti-coagulant.

Research studies have shown that when taken orally,
approximately 5% of the EDTA will be absorbed into the blood stream. Research
studies have also shown that the excretion of lead in the urine increases after EDTA has
been administered orally. Intravenous therapy is obviously more powerful, but oral therapy
is far less expensive. The cost factor has lead many physicians and patients to seek an
effective way to conduct chelation orally. Another alternative is to administer EDTA by
suppository. An administration by suppository has been shown to be 67% as clinically effective
as an IV treatment but at only one third of the cost. EDTA suppositories can be purchased
without a prescription.

Dr. Walter Blumer, M.D. of Switzerland has documented
the results of EDTA heavy metal detoxification treatment for over 20 years. He showed that
patients receiving a minimum of 30 oral treatments experienced an 85% reduction in cardiovascular
events and a 90% reduction in new malignancies when compared to individuals in the same village
who did not receive the treatments. Prof. Johan Bjorksten, creator of the crosslinkage theory
of aging, estimated that the average human life span could be increased by 15 years as a result
of chelation therapy. This estimate was based on the results from animal studies. The theory
is that removing heavy metals reduces the crosslinking that contributes to the aging
phenomena.

Garry Gordon, M.D. of the Gordon Research Institute is one
of the proponents of oral chelation therapy with EDTA. Dr. Gordon claims to personally have
taken a minimum of 800 mg. of EDTA per day for the past ten years. He considers this to be a
low dose. He also advocates the use of malic acid to chelate excess iron and aluminum.
Dr. Gordon suggests that dosages of EDTA of 800 to 5000 mg. per day should be considered
depending on the body weight and kidney status of the patient. Kidney health is important
because the excretion of lead and mercury in the urine is toxic and stressful to the kidneys.
He bases his recommendations on the research conducted by Abbot Laboratories. Abbot claims
that 1000 mg. of EDTA per 35 pounds of body weight was the correct dose for treating
asymptomatic lead intoxication orally, based on FDA sanctioned studies. Incidentally, Dr.
Gordon claims that his health has continued to improve over the past ten years.
He is now 67.

There is a controversy as to whether EDTA should be taken
with meals or away from other food. Paradoxically, there is evidence that EDTA enhances the
uptake of some nutrients such as zinc and iron. Logically, it would seem that the consumption
of a chelating agent with food might bind the essential trace minerals and limit absorption.
Which approach to take is guesswork at present.

One concern with chelation therapy in general is that
chelating agents are not as specific as we would like and are likely to remove essential
trace minerals as well as toxic metals. Trace mineral replacement therapy is essential when
doing any form of chelation. Trace mineral therapy is important on its own as well since the
essential minerals compete with toxic metals for binding sites. In other words, when ones
body is properly mineralized, the absorption and toxicity of heavy metals is greatly reduced.
It is my view that the majority of us are malnourished in terms of minerals and trace
minerals.

Other chelation agents include Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid),
methionine, cysteine, malic acid, DMSA (dimercapto succinic acid) and Garlic. In addition,
toxic heavy metals can to some degree be displaced by the essential minerals and trace
minerals. This is particularly interesting in the case
of iodine when used in high doses
(Iodoral).

It should be pointed out that some physicians disagree
with this perspective on oral chelation therapy. Dr. Elmer Cranton, M.D. argues that oral
chelation therapy increases the absorption of lead and other heavy metals and is therefore
inadvisable. Dr. Cranton runs several large Intravenous Chelation Clinics. One can largely
address this concern by taking the chelating agents on an empty stomach. If there are no
foods containing heavy metals in the stomach when the chelating agents are introduced, there
can be no absorption of heavy metals.

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